The time turner
by dark star17
Summary: Hermione starts her final year at Hogwarts with a time turner. Somehow, after a series of unfortunate events - the trio are transported back in time.
1. Chapter 1

**The time-turner**

Disclaimer: For the sake of argument, nothing is mine. Don't sue me.

***

Something was catching Ron's attention. Something thin, something gold was sparkling around Hermione's neck. Not that he'd been staring at her of course. He quickly turned his head away. Was it a necklace? Had some guy given it to her? He savagely pierced his sausage with his fork in one brutal action. Harry raised his eyebrow at him.

"What is the matter?"

"Huh? Matter? Nothing's the matter with me."

"Uh huh…" Harry nodded like he didn't believe him.

Ron continued to eat his breakfast.

"Timetables! Coming down now." Dean Thomas passed the 7th year Gryffindor timetables down the long table. Ron grudgingly accepted in between two fingers and deigned to look at it.

"Ugh. Potions with Snivellus."

Harry grinned – Ron was starting to sound like his own dad when he said that. Hermione gave him a reprimanding glance from opposite the table and shook her head, causing her hair to be more disarray than before. There it was again - the glimmer of gold from around Hermione's neck. It was no doubt a very fine chain of gold. Ron unknowingly clenched his fists around his fork and knife. What kind of a bastard had given his Hermione a chain of fine gold? And what was attached at the end of it? A heart? His face reddened.

Hermione was deeply immersed in her own timetable – was it Ron's imagination or was hers a tad bit larger than everyone else's? She twirled a strand of hair between her index and began muttering to herself and skimming over the piece of parchment. This behaviourism of Hermione's always enthralled Ron – he loved to see her in deep thought and he resigned himself to another session of Hermione-staring. She took a swig of juice from her goblet. Then her hand rested on her neck where she gently fingered the chain, pulling it this way and that – the pendant however, never revealed itself, tantalisingly hidden below Hermione's shirt. Ron growled in frustration. What was at the end of the dammed chain that was bothering him so much? Finally he couldn't restrain himself. 

"What's that?"

Hermione withdrew her hand from her collar at lightening speed and looked up – she blushed. "Wh-what?"

"That." Ron stood from the bench and leaned over to the other side of the table and tried to grab the fine chain. Harry opened his mouth to protest, his arm shot out to grab Ron but it was too late. Hermione leaned back instinctively, clutching at her collar.

"Ron, what in world - "

Ron lost balance and fell right on top of the toast and butter. There was a huge clashing of plates and Ron's landed and heads turned from al around the hall. The teachers seemed to ignore the whole situation. Several Slytherins were laughing and the Ravenclaws were tut tuting away. Ron thankfully missed the pots of jam and cream – but he did manage to spill Hermione's goblet of pumpkin juice all over her front. Hermione squealed and jumped up from her seat, seething.

"Ron!" she screeched. Ron raised himself off the table and brushed the crumbs off his jumper. Harry covered his head in his hands. 

Not again.

The yelling came, then the hurling of toast, than Hermione's swift exit from the great hall.

Ron sat down in a huff – the head boy; Hewlett Aldershot was watching him reprehensively through his gold framed glasses. He shook his head at Ron and rose from his seat. Ron scowled back and grabbed Harry and followed Hermione up to the common room.

"What the - " Harry was jerked from his seat. "What is wrong with you?"

"Preppy boy is coming my way and I am not standing around to find out –"

"Ron." Hewlett came strutting over form the Ravenclaw table and placed himself in front of Ron.

"Out of my way Aldershot." Ron pushed past him rudely, Harry grumbling all the way about some people not respecting other's right to a peaceful breakfast.

***

When Harry and Ron arrived at the Gryffindor common room, Hermione was no where to be seen – the common room was empty. With potions starting in literal minutes, Ron frantically climbed the girl's stairs leading up to their dormitories and was rudely shoved back down by the reliable stairs that guarded the girls from the prying eyes of hormone driven boys.

"Ugh." Ron grunted as his crumbled at the bottom of the stair case.

Harry laughed and helped him up, meanwhile checking his watch. "We have exactly five minutes for you to apologise to Hermione, get our potions stuff and get down to the dungeons."

"Who said anything about apologising?" Ron said indignantly.

Hermione appeared at the top of the stairs clad in a fresh uniform giving not a glance to Ron.

"Harry, let's go – we're late." She said imperiously.

Ron opened his mouth to protest at being ignored.

"Hermione."

"I think I left my bag on the armchair. Let's go HARRY." She emphasized and grabbed Harry's arm pulling him away.

Ron stamped his feet in annoyance. This seemed to delight Hermione; she let out a small giggle.

Harry was paying attention on other things however.

"Hermione, what is THIS?" Harry stopped Hermione and pointed at the front of her robes. Both boys stared and Hermione blushed furiously, trying to shove the tiny hour glass back into the folds of her robes. Harry plucked it form her grasp and the delicate chain broke and slithered down to the floor.

"Ah ha! So it's not a heart shaped pendant!" Ron cried joyously. He then blushed.

Harry shook his head – "You are using the time turner again?"

"Well…yes. I wanted to really try my best this year and get nine NEWTS."

"Nine?"

"Maybe seven. I don't know. But Professor McGonagall said the ministry trusts me to use it wisely and so…"

"Don't you remember how it was like it third year?" Ron said in a reprimanding voice.

Hermione turned her head this way and that, "Harry? Did someone just speak?"

"Come on you two."

"He spilled pumpkin juice all over me – furthermore, he was sticking his oar in someone else's business, he could've just asked me about the chain."

"You didn't tell us last time! Remember?"

"It's not like last time!"

"Oh yeah?"

"Ron, Hermione!" Harry threw up his hands in frustration. The tiny hourglass flew into the air. It was all in slow motion, the hourglass, its sand twinkling as it turned on its silent assent through the air.

The three all jumped up at tried to grab it but effectively knocked each other out and they fell heavily, one on top of the other.

"Ow!"

"Ugh!"

"Ron get off me!"

"Ow! Stop kicking you mad woman!"

In a tangle, the trio detangled themselves from one another and managed to stand on both feet.

Something was wrong.

"Oh! Where is it?"

Crack.

The noise of splintering glass made everyone freeze. 

"Please let that not be what I just thought it was." Hermione choked out. She gently lifted the heel of her mary janes. The shattered hourglass lay there.

"OK. So what's the worst that can happen? Hermione asks for a new hourglass. Come on, let's go to potions. We don't have much time left." Ron said, running his fingers through his hair. He ran up to the boys' dormitories calling, "I'll get your bag Harry!"

Harry breathed a sigh of relief. Nothing seemed to be changed. They were still in the common room and nothing seemed amiss. Hermione however, was in agitation, wringing her hands. "Oh it's not so bad. It's like Ron said,"

"Harry we could have travelled back. In time." Her eyes seemed a little bloodshot and her voice had an edge of panic in them.

"Even if we did, it can only be a few hours. Right? Hermione?"

"I…I don't know. I…I smashed it! We could be a thousand years back. Or we could just be an hour early…or…or I don't know!"

Their answer came in the form of a very pale Ron, who was slowly descending the stairs, his long legs wobbling as he took each step.

"What's the matter? What is it?"

Ron took in a deep shuddering breath. "I think we travelled back in time."

"How…how far it time?" Harry asked, fearing the answer.

"Very, very far."

***

A/N: Review! Probably the most typed phrase in the whole world of fanfiction…


	2. Chapter 2

DISCLIMER: I don't own anything…sadly…

A/N: Well, it's not very very far back… and this is a Ron/Hermione if you have not guessed yet.

Michemix: How do you guess everything so accurately?

"How very far?" Harry asked cautiously.

"Well…" Ron trailed off and held up a potions book and handed it to Harry.

Hermione looked at it, as if daring it to make her cry – she was very close to it. With trembling fingers, Harry opened the cover of the leather bound volume;

_"James Potter, Year Seven, Gryffindor"_

Harry paled alarmingly quickly and his dishevelled hair was a stark contrast to his whitewashed face.

"What? What is it?" Hermione asked her fingers were violently tugging the hem of her cardigan. "Harry? Answer me!"

When Harry continued to stare at the book without an answer, Hermione snatched the book out of his hands. Her eyes widened in shock.

"Oh my god…Harry…"

Ron was sitting down on the Gryffindor common room couch, staring blankly at the embers in the fireplace. 

"So…" Harry took in a shuddering breath. "How…?"

"I don't know! Oh Ron! It's your entire fault!"

"How is it MY fault? I didn't smash the time-turner! You stepped on IT!"

"Yes well if you hadn't spilled juice all over me in the first place, this never would have happened! Honestly you are so stupid!"

"Well if you're so smart, Miss Know-it-all, why don't you go stick your head in a library book and get us the hell out of here?"

"Could you two just shut up?" Harry shouted angrily. He sighed deeply and rubbed his temples. "Come on; stop arguing. We need to think."

There was a brief moment of silence. Then Hermione raised her hand slowly and spoke.

"Well there is only one thing we can do."  She gave a pointed glance to the two boys.

"Dumbledore" Harry and Ron said in unison.

The moved slowly from their frozen position and proceeded to the portrait hole when it swung open violently and two boys entered talking loudly.

"We're late for potions!"

"James you idiot – where did you leave your potions book?"

Mouth agape, Hermione handed the book to James.

"Oh. Thank you. Come on, we've got to run!" James snatched the book from Hermione's limp hands and turned back to exit the common room.

"Hang on." The other boy, who could be none other than Sirius, stopped James with an outstretched arm. He pointed at the trio one by one. "You, you and you…who are you exactly?"

"Er…"

"We're um…"

"We, we're just students." Hermione finished lamely. Ron rolled his eyes, 

"Oh that's convincing." He muttered.

"Well I didn't see you saying anything but mumbling like an incoherent idiot."

"Well what are we supposed to say genius?"

James and Sirius looked back and forth at Hermione and Ron with an amused expression.

"So where did you come from?"

"We…um…"

"Hey, we're late for potions. Why don't we give them some time to think about it since the require it?" Sirius said, giving a nudge to James and pulling him away. James however, was preoccupied by Harry.

"You…you look exactly like me!"

Harry was used to being compared to his dad, but seeing a living, breathing copy of himself with hazel eyes was just too unusual for him.

"Well…"

"Oh, I've read about these sort of biological resemblance between total strangers!" Hermione said helpfully.

"Oh, yeah. I have absolute confidence that you've read about them." Ron said sarcastically.

"Well I DID." Hermione retorted heatedly. "It may be that you two are very very long distance relatives and the alikeness skipped several generations."

"Yeah…that must be it." Harry said dazedly.

"Well then give me your name. So I can ask."

"I'm Harry."

"Harry…." 

"Harry."

James looked at him quizzically. "Yeah. Harry what."

"He's asking for your surname genius." Ron said, a grin gracing his face.

"Oh! It's Granger."

"Harry Granger."

"Yeah."

"Well then. I suppose we'll see you later."

***

"You gave him MY surname? Well then What am I called now? Hermione Potter?" 

"Well I couldn't think of a good one and I very well couldn't give him my own surname. Sorry. You can be my sister. Or cousin or something."

Hermione tugged at her hair in agitation. 

"Fine."

"And should I be Weasley? What should I be?"

"I don't know. Think some other surname. Just in case."

The trio were not aware what noise they were making, walking down the deserted stone corridors past the suites of armour. The paintings were also looking out from their frames with mild interest. The students in the class did and so did their teachers. One of the teachers that first stuck her head out was unfortunately the strictest teacher in the school.

"What are you three doing out of classes?" 

"Professor…McGonagall?"

It was indeed a younger version of the Transfiguration Teacher – she still had her thin mouth and severe countenance though.

"Yes. That is MY name. What is yours? I don't think I've seen you three before…though you look suspiciously like Potter." She said indicating Harry.

The three looked at each other in turn. Hermione spoke up first; after all, McGonagall was her favourite teacher.

"Well. He is Harry Potter, James Potter's son."

The younger Professor recoiled away from them. "What?! James Potter has a son THIS old? This is impossible!" 

"Well. See, that's just the thing. We don't belong here. We belong about 30 years from now. In the future." Ron explained. 

"Well how did you get here?" she asked disbelievingly.

"A time turner."

"Time turner? What's a time turner?" McGonagall asked, seeming to disbelieve them and getting angry with them every passing minute. "Stop fooling around with me you three, or there will be trouble."

The three blanched. "You don't know what a time turner is?" Hermione asked incredulously. Obviously the knowledge that her favourite teacher may not know everything shook her beliefs. 

"No. I don't. Is there such a thing?" she snapped.

"Well, well…you are the one that gave me a time turner."

"I can assure you that I did no such thing."

"You did…in the future."

"So. You three have been fooling around with this…this time turner and have been transported back to the past?"

They nodded.

McGonagall seemed sceptical but didn't look angry. Her lips tightened considerably as she nodded.

She turned and stuck her head in to the classroom.

"There will be no noise when you continue with your work. I shall be back in a moment."

"You three. I will take you to the headmaster's office."

The walk to the headmaster's office was a solemn one – the professor seemed to think their fooling around with time was a serious offence. And it probably was. Hermione hung her head in shame.

"Chocolate Frogs."

As Harry had seen so many times the Gargoyle sprung to life and leaped aside, leading them on to a spiralling staircase.

***

"How far from the future, Mr. Potter?"

Dumbledore was as pleasant as ever, listening to their story with an amused expression on his face.

"Pretty far. We're from the year 1997." Hermione supplied.

Dumbledore sat with his long tapered fingers in front of him, twiddling them, his blue eyes twinkling behind his half-moon (they were the same) glasses.

"So you are Mr. Potter's son…and you must be Mr. Weasley's offspring." He said, indicating Ron.

"Is my father still in school?" Ron asked in alarm.

"No. He has already left. Why?"

"Well…I know this is silly but he is my dad and I don't want him in school with me. It's…weird."

"Tell me about it." Harry muttered.

"And you are?"

"I'm Hermione Granger, Professor."

"Hmm…I don't think I've heard of Granger before."

"I'm a muggle born."

A dark look crossed Dumbledore's face. Harry wondered if…

"Well, it is a hard time for your kind." He said a little sadly.

"You mean Volemort…" Harry said.

Dumbledore looked alarmed. "You know about Voldemort?"

"Yes, Voldemort is waging war against the magical community even as we speak. In my time that is. Volemort killed countless people, he killed - "

Dumbledore suddenly put his hands up. "Harry I must ask you to not…please don't tell me or anyone about what happens in the future."

Harry reddened. 

"But if I tell you now, then you might be able to stop him!"

"I don't know what you mean by 'stop him' Harry, but…I'm sorry."

Harry was furious. Hermione was used to this – he was this way in third year too.

"You don't know what you are talking about. You mean I am supposed to allow everything to happen, when I have the power to stop it?"

"Harry," Hermione put her arm on his, "you really can't change time."  Harry shook her off roughly.

"Professor, listen to me. You can save the lives of so many people and of so many people's happiness."

"Harry, I refuse to listen to you. You are still young and naïve. There is many things that can happen if you change anything, even a little. Your being here is already change enough – and I cannot tolerate any more. No matter how bleak the future, the events that are to take place must not be changed. I must make this point firm. And I must ask your oath that the future is not divulged to anyone."

Harry nodded in defeat. After all, he had received a similar speech from Dumbledore in his third year – he could not toy with the complexities of time.

"Well then…I thank you, and I do hope your stay here is most enjoyable before we, er…find out a way to transport you back. Meanwhile – you three are in Gryffindor?"

"Yes."

"Then I will have extra beds arranged in the dorms. Minerva? Why don't you give these students the time tables?"

***

Harry was still a little moody about his future after they left the headmaster's office.

"So Mr. Potter you are now called…Harry Granger?" 

Harry nodded while Professor McGonagall scribbled his name down on a leather bound book.

"Mr. Weasley?"

"I think I am safe being myself." 

"And…Miss Granger?"

"I'm going to be Harry's cousin."

McGonagall checked her wrist watch. "Your next class is with me in…5 minutes."

A/N: a boringish sort of chapter I know – but I needed to explain everything. Reviews are welcome!


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I own NOTHING. NOTHING I TELL YOU!!!**

**A/N: thnx to the reviewers! **

Harry's life at Hogwarts was happier then he had remembered. No one treated him like a tormented hero for one thing and he was getting a chance to interact with his father before the…unfortunate incident. There was one thing seriously wrong with his life however,

"No Quidditch." He complained to Ron a week form when they had been transported.

"No Quidditch for me either Harry – Sirius is taking my place." 

They both sighed. "I can't live without quidditch! It's like…"

"It's like the air we breathe."

"Oh please!" Hermione snorted into her book. Ron turned on her.

"Well what is for you then? The books we read is the food we eat? Library is the higher place we strive for?"

"Well, it's a better activity than quidditch!"

"Come on. Nothing is better than quidditch." Harry high fived Ron.

"You two listen to me. Whether we are back in time or not, this is a serious step in your magical education you should really be paying attention to you studies!" Hermione scolded them severely, raising her eyes from her book, albeit for a minute.

Ron made a face. "Look who's cranky."

"I'm not cranky!" she retorted indignantly shutting her book with a snap.

"Oh yeah? You want to know what's bothering you? The fact that you are no longer Miss– big-head-girl know-it-all. The fact that you have competitors. The fact that Harry's mum is as smart as you and you have Sirius and James to compete with."

Hermione swelled furiously. 

"Er…Ron? What did I tell you about learning to control…" Harry muttered pulling at his sleeve.

Ron and Hermione however, were having a serious staring match. The arrival of the marauders didn't make it better…

"Ah jeez! I thought having Lily and James stare at each other for hours on end was bad enough and now you two! We just can't get peace around here." Sirius entered the portrait hole and exclaimed loudly. Harry shook his head sadly. Obviously, Sirius had not experienced a Ron versus Hermione before. He was about to find out in the nastiest way what Hermione was like when she was tetchy – especially when the source of her tetchiness was Ron.

"Black! Shut up!" she glared at him coldly. "You should also be studying you worthless brainless…" Hermione snatched up her books and her bag and stormed up the girl's dormitories. Sirius' face conveyed nothing but shock.

"She...she told me to shut up."

Ron ran his fingers through his hair and plopped down on the couch, "That was nothing." He said with a small smile tugging at the corner of his lips.

"Nothing? What is something then?" Remus asked in his own quiet curious way. 

"Hermione she's...she's lethal."

"When she gets angry…do you remember in third year when she slapped Mal - "

Ron poked Harry in the ribs.

"Mal – Malone?"

"Slapped him?" Remus asked, surprised. "She seems like such a nice girl."

"She is a nice girl." Lily joined in dropping her books on the table, an action that was surprisingly Hermione - like. 

"I bet she is…" Sirius said sarcastically. "I know you'd say that Lily – she's your new library buddy isn't she?" 

"Library buddies?" Ron asked exasperatedly. "What's next? Is Hermione going to instigate another year of S.P.E.W?"

"S.P.E.W?" the marauders asked simultaneously. 

Harry laughed. "I forgot what it stands for."

"Society for the Protection of Elfish Welfare." Lily said from the depths of her book. Harry felt weird – his best friend and his mother. Best friends?!

"That is such a load of crap…" Sirius muttered.

"Tell me about it." Ron joined in. "It's SPEW for Merlin's sake!"

"SPEW." James repeated. "Has a nice…ring to it."

Everyone laughed. Lily, stood up, red in the face.

"You…you BOYS. You are so immature and self centred. It's all about you, yourself and you isn't it? What kind of selfish and egotistical pigs are you? Making fun of someone who is humane enough to think all magical creatures have equal rights." Shaking her head, Lily gathered up her things and pushed past the boys up to the dormitories.

"What's the bet they come down with the SPEW tin?" Ron said his freckled face breaking out into a grin.

"Shut up Weasley!" 

"The spew tin?" Sirius asked with an incredulous expression on his face.

***

Hermione was belly down on her bed, trying to concentrate on her book. How had Ron gotten everything so accurately? Sure she liked Lily, she was the best friend for her – but that didn't stop her feeling jealous of the fact that she was head girl and not her.

"But this is not your year, you have your own year to go back to…" she told herself again. Maybe Ron was right. Maybe she was obsessive. A little. She wanted to go back downstairs and have another verbal screaming match with him. It made her feel strangely excited, every time Ron infuriated her – just seeing his face redden because of her… Then there was always the make up. Somehow he'd manage to get himself forgiven…no matter how much she told herself that "he had really done it this time".

There was a soft knocking on the door. Her heart leapt – was it Ron?

She cautiously got up from the bed and walked slowly crossed the dorm that she and Lily shared. The door opened and Lily walked in, in a huff. 

"I can understand why you take refuge here. Those boys are so insufferable."

"Tell me about it." Hermione said, sighing.

"They were making fun of S.P.E.W." Lily said, making sure she didn't say spew for short, "I thought it was a great idea."

***

"They'd both think it was a good idea. See? They are both muggle borns. They can't get it through their heads that the damn elves LIKE being enslaved." Ron was telling the gathered marauders.

"So. The badge. Tell me about the badge." Sirius said through his laughter.

"We have to pay for that badge. Mostly people just bought it to er…er…" Harry tried to explain.

"Shut her up?" James supplied bluntly.

"Yeah. And then in fifth year she started knitting for them."

"Kintting? What was he knitting?"

"I think it was hats." Harry said.

"Though it didn't look like it." Ron sulked. "She got so prissy at us for making fun of her and that those hats. Honestly."

"Ah!" Sirius exclaimed clapping, "she was hoping that the elves would pick it up and become free. I can see the genius of her plan."

"Come on guys…stop it. You are being mean."

"Moony. It's just harmless teasing. We all know girls love it." James said coolly.

"We also know," Remus said wryly, "that people who make fun of girls are just immature idiots who like them."

James and Ron flushed and opened and closed their mouths furiously.

"That's why you should take my approach, love'em and then drop'em." Sirius told them with an air of arrogance.

"You should also know people who treat girls like that end up all alone and lonely and until they get old and are useless as a piece of dry stick." Remus told Sirius with a raised eyebrow.

"Now who could that be?" Sirius asked with an air of mock concern.

"I think." James said, breaking the ice, "that we show our transfer students here," he said indicating Ron and Harry, "what Hogwarts students do for fun."

"Prongs. You mean - ?"

"It's a long time since we've played a prank on anyone…" 

Peter squealed in excitement.

"That's going to be my rat someday…" Ron muttered darkly.

***

"That's Snape." James pointed at the greasy haired boy, sitting by the lake, his nose stuck in a book. 

Ron and Harry nodded – he still had the greasy ill favoured look that didn't change through time. There was a perpetual sneer on his face whether he was reading or talking.

"We played this joke on him. Fifth year, took his pants off for everyone to see." James shook with laughter. 

"Afterwards – he did an anti gravity charm on his pants." Sirius finished. "He's very smart our Snivelly…but not smart enough."

"So. What is it that we are going to do?" Harry asked nervously. He hoped it was something that was not so very cruel…as much as he hated Snape.

"Just transfigure him to a giant krill and feed him to the squid. So simple." Sirius complained angrily. 

"Sirius. We are not looking to KILL anyone." Remus said reasonably.

James pulled out a wand.

"This is not really a wand. It's a wand – for squibs. I found it in Filch's office."

"What does it do?"

"It is specifically designed to do one task. The one I stole was a scourgifying wand. Cleans most stains."

"But we are going to alter the wand so that it does something else."

"What?" Ron and Harry asked impatiently.

Sirius and James both grinned nastily. Remus shook his head and Peter just looked puzzled.

"Well, when ever he does a spell, any sort of spell – it will make hair sprout from his nose." James finished triumphantly.

Harry and Ron burst out laughing – "Are you serious?"

"Yep. Here, let me show you." 

Sirius snatched the wand out of James' hand and pointed the wand at James. James calmly sat, with a goofy grin on his face.

"Scourgify!"

Hairs sprouted, long and black and frizzy from Sirius' nose, and reached down to his neck – making him look unusually hideous.

"Oh nasty!" Ron exclaimed, unable to conceal his laughter. Harry snorted through his hands lest he caught Snape's attention.

Smiling, Sirius removed the hairs with a flick of his own wand. "So. Now comes the hard bit. Who is going to steal Snivelly's wand and replace it with this wonder?"

Ron and Harry looked at each other and blinked. They had never really played a prank on anybody though they did plenty of rule breaking.

"I think you should decide between yourselves. It's a dare." James said reasonably, but not really reasonably at all. 

Peter exhaled and seemed to deflate in relief while Remus rubbed the bridge of his nose shaking his head.

"Um…"

"Harry, you do it,"

"No Ron you do it."

"Come on! Decide or else I'll have to do it." 

"Harry you have nimbler fingers." Ron said triumphantly. "You are a seeker."

All activity stopped.

"A seeker?" James asked sceptically.

"Er…yeah. I was a seeker at my school."

"Oh. Well then, I think we should have a friendly sometime." James said shrugging in an arrogant way that annoyed Harry. He just couldn't help himself – he was proud of his quidditch skills.

"Yeah, maybe we should sometime." He replied coolly.

Ron seemed to writhe in guilt. "Anyway, I'll do it." He said in an apologetic manner. He took the wand from Sirius' grasp and stood up resolutely, noting the fierce spark of competition between father and son.

***

As he drew near Snape, Ron felt dread pooling in his stomach. To him, this seventeen year old Snivelly was still his potions master – he didn't fear him but Ron had common sense enough (But not quite enough, as Hermione would say) to realise tugging Snape's chain was never a good idea. He drew big breathes and could sense the five pairs of eyes boring into the back of his head. With his long legs forming long strides, he walked down the grassy slope down to where Snape was sitting with his book stuck in a spotted old book. 

He noted the wand sticking out from Snape's robes. It was so easy… so easy to just pull it out.

'No. He'd feel it. Think Weasley think!'

Shrugging and thinking 'what the hell' instead any plan remotely successful, Ron made a mad grab for Snape's wand and at the same time made a show of tripping and falling down heavily beside his future potions master.

Immediately, Snape's perpetual sneer grew bigger and his face was graced with a look of intense dislike and annoyance.

"Watch it you idiot!" he spat.

Ah…it was so familiar to have Snape call him that…

"Sorry." Ron muttered, trying hard to keep from bursting out into loud guffaw, "This is your wand right?" he said, sticking out Filch's squib wand.

Snape snatched it from his hand as it was diseased and pocketed the wand with a look of pure hatred as he caught sight of Ron's yellow and gold tie.

"Stupid Gryffindor, so big headed and idiotic that he doesn't even know where he is going." Snape spat and walked away, his greasy hair hardly stirring (because it was so greasy it had stuck together) as he walked furiously away. 

"I think _Snivelly__, the stupid one is you." Ron muttered. He turned round and gave a thumbs up to the marauders and Harry._

A/N: Hoped you liked this chapter – remember to review! 


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: The situation created in this story is not mine. If it were mine, I'd be at a different place today.**

**A/N: thanks to all the reviewers!**

"Oh this is going to be so good." Peter squealed in excitement.

Ron and Harry both rolled their eyes – why had James, Sirius and Remus even hung around with a person…I mean…dung like Peter anyway? The thought made Harry even angrier – if they weren't Peter's friend…he wouldn't have to rely on a time accident to enable him to spend time with his father. But his father was the same age as him…he thought in some aspects, that was actually a good thing but James was immature – and Harry secretly hoped that he would show is teenage dad that he wasn't the best at Quidditch. 

"We have MG next – it is the best possible lesson we could have planned this prank for. She will be so mad at Snape."

"Wouldn't he rat on us?" Ron asked.

Remus shook his head, "Snape never rats on us – besides he won't have any proof – no…he will want to get back at us in his own way."

"Ah…we have to look out for Snape's retributions." James said wisely.

"What do you mean retributions?" Harry asked uncertainly.

James shrugged, "he would usually try to beat us at quidditch…never works of course." James messed up his hair.

Sirius rolled his eyes and said what Harry had been itching to say since fifth year when he had seen his father engaged in 'messing up his hair' and making it look, what he thought, was cooler.

"James, you should really stop that. It makes you look even bigger headed than usual. It doesn't make you look 'cool' so stop it."

James shrugged nonchalantly – "Stop what?"

Sirius scrunched up his hair, "This."  His hair fell back into place perfectly.

James coloured a little but he paid little attention. He didn't scrunch up his hair however, when Lily walked into the transfiguration classroom, in deep conversation with Hermione. Snape walked in a little later with Malfoy senior and what looked like could be the fathers of Crabbe and Goyle – the family resemblance to mountain trolls were startling.

"Okay. Let's hope that MG doesn't shower us with a load of 'theory' today and makes us do some practical - ly things."

"Please get into pairs – we are transfiguring muggle objects to magical objects today. It is complicated work – but I have gone through it with you last lesson. I will have NO mess ups. Am I understood?" she emphasised, turning her shrewd eyes to Sirius and James' direction. She seemed to have an innate knowledge of what mischief they were up to.

"Excellent. Whole, good some practical transfiguration." Sirius muttered.

James and Sirius were already in a pair, discussing what they should transfigure the tables into. Remus was with Peter. Harry and Ron cast a direction toward Hermione to see who she was with – Lily. The two were already transfiguring chairs into broomsticks. Hermione and Lily cast an almost triumphant glance at the marauders, Harry and Ron who were unable to transfigure anything so far. Ron scowled darkly. 

"I'll show her."

He directed his wand and the chair and thought for a while,

"Magisch morphus!"

The chair instantly turned into a bottle of forgetfulness potion. Ron smiled smugly at Hermione's direction – she was looking with her eyes narrowed and her arms crossed over her chest. Her foot was tapping on the flagged stone floor impatiently.

There was however, more entertaining things for people to pay attention to – the marauder's pranks were showing great results as long frizzy black (and greasy, according to Sirius) hair grew in extension's from Snape's nose. Every time he tried to remove it with a wave of the wand – the hairs grew longer and thicker than before. Malfoy was shrinking back in fear from him, his had covering his nose as Crabbe and Goyle looked stupidly from one another. As for the rest of the class, their transfiguration was forgotten to them as they rolled on the floor in helpless laughter – MG   
(as Sirius and James referred to her, A/N: actually…I cannot be stuffed to type out Professor McGonagall) was parting the crowd with her reprimanding voice that cut into the party atmosphere like a knife. "What is going on here?" she bellowed. Then she caught sight of Severus her lips tightened further but her cheeks swelled a little as she fought to control her laughter. After trying to remove the hair with the wand for the seventh time, Snape seemed to realise that the wand was causing his abnormal hair growth and glared at James with loathing. James smirked back at him. He seemed to have mastered the look.

"Mr. Snape. What is this? Is this some sort of a joke?"

"It's working brilliantly," Remus whispered under his breath.

The hair was obstructing Snape's mouth so every time he opened it, he got a mouthful of hair. Finally, he grabbed the abnormal growth and pushed it away,

"My wand" here, he glared at James and Sirius, "is not working properly."

Professor McGonagall stuck out her hand and Severus grudgingly gave it to her. She examined it a little while closely. 

"Your wand, Mr. Snape. What wood is it made of?"

"Ash."

"But this is not ash! Clearly, you have misplaced your wand and gotten another one."

Snape seemed to think for awhile. Then there seemed to be a sudden burst of light – his eyes lit up with a fresh wave of hate as he glared at Ron.

"Does it take that long to figure out? Really?" Sirius mocked. Ron however, was paling – he half expected Snape to shout "50 points from Gryffindor".

"This wand is not a proper wand – it's a squibs wand! And somebody's cursed it." The professor glared at Snape, "Have you been stealing Mr. Filch's things?"

"We all know how the Slytherins hate squibs." Sirius said loudly, giving a pointed look to Snivellus.

"Mr. Black. That is quite enough." Professor said threateningly.

"I didn't steal anything. Someone took mine and replaced it with that." Snape pointed with a look of repugnance.

Ron tried to look innocent. 

"Well, I will be taking this," MG placed the wand inside her robe after taking Sirius' curse off the wand, "and returning it to Mr. Filch. Meanwhile Mr. Snape – I will be putting up a notice to search for your wand. Please don't make this sort of mistake again."

Snape seemed to boil over in rage, his hair adding to the effect, "I know who has it!" he almost shouted. MG turned.

"Who?"

"HIM." Snape pointed a shaking finger at Ron.

"I though you said he didn't rat on people." Ron whispered furiously to Remus.

"Mr. Weasley?"

"Yes?"

"Do you have Mr. Snape's wand?"

Ron shrugged, "Why would I have it?"

Snape snarled. "You have it, by the lake you took it!"

Snape rushed at Ron, though Ron was a big boy and tried to wrestle him to the floor, Ron took the opportunity to slip Snape's wand back into his trouser pocket. He said later the effects were worth his bleeding lip.

"Snape, control yourself! 20 points from Slytherin!" MG shouted as she tore them apart.

"Oh Ron! Are you alright?"

Ron was sprawled on the floor with a circle of faces above him, grinning at his genius, and a worried looking Hermione.

"Yeah. Just a bleeding lip." He said cheerfully, wiping the blood with the sleeve of his robe.

James extended his hand, helped Ron up and whispered, "Expertly done."

"Mr. Weasley, are you alright?"

"Yes. I'm fine."

"There will be detention Mr. Snape, for your unorthodox behaviour. Really, control yourself in the future." The stern professor walked over to him and whipped his wand out of his trouser pocket,

"Remove those ugly hairs and next time, don't steal Mr. Filch's wand, curse it and be stupid enough to use it on yourself."

Professor McGonagall walked out from the classroom with a small frown on her face,

"I will be returning this wand now – please get back to working."

Hermione offered her handkerchief to Ron, blushing profusely. "Here, you are bleeding." 

"Thanks." Ron replied hoarsely.

Sirius was not there to mock them.

"Snivelly, really you shouldn't remove the hair – you look positively dashing."

"You know I didn't expect his nose hair to be greasy – but alas I was mistaken."

All the Gryffindors added a nasty remark except Lily. She gave a resigned look to the marauders, knowing that they had done it.

***

"Do you know that Severus is being made to clean the dungeons without magic?" Lily told James later that day.

James shrugged. "What's that to me?"

"Don't you feel at least a little remorse?" Lily asked him, grabbing his shoulder.

"Why should I feel remorse?" he replied with a smirk, his eye wandering over to Lily's hand on his shoulder. Lily blushed and removed her hand and placed it on her hips,

"Well, you did it didn't you?"

"Nope. I didn't Evans – you're wrong this time."

"Well then you got Ron to do it – you're influencing new students in a negative way."

"Evans," James rose from the armchair and faced her, looking down at her, for he was taller, "what's it to you if we play a little joke on Snivelly? Do you like him or something?"

Lily flushed at record speed, her face resembling the colour of her hair, "NO!" she screeched.

James grinned, "You look flushed."

Lily turned on her heel and went to look for Hermione, muttering something about finding a girl to talk to instead of immature boys, leaving James staring wistfully at her back. 

"Was that Lily and you having another fight?" Remus came and plonked himself down on the sofa next to James.

"What fight?"

Remus sighed and decided not to have a verbal spar with James – who had an infuriating circular logic, and opted for a different subject that was equally touchy. Quidditch.

"So James – what about the quidditch team? How is it going?"

"We need a new keeper. Sirius doesn't want to be a keeper – he said it was too boring – took up beating instead."

Ron chanced to hear this from across the room.

"James – could I take that spot?" He said, walking quickly over to the Gryffindor Captain.

"Were you a keeper?"

"Yep. Been playing for two years now."

"I was going to hold a trial…but. Why don't you come to practice? I'll see how good you are."

Ron nodded happily, then his eyes seemed to dilate and his mouth opened a little as Harry came through the portrait hole with Sirius.

"Well….yea…we'll see."

He turned and walked back to the table where is potions essay lay half – done.

***

Ron cleared his throat and tapped Hermione lightly on the shoulder. "Hermione, I need you advice."

"What?"

Ron gritted his teeth, "I need you advice."

Giving a puzzled glance to Lily, who was sitting opposite Hermione in the library, Hermione stood up and laid her potions book on the table. Ron grabbed her wrist and pulled her in to an isolated row of "History of Magic". 

"What – Ron!"

"I don't want the mother to get protective of her son."

"What?!"

"Oh…yeah I forgot…Harry isn't born yet. Anyway – I have a dilemma." He dropped her wrist quickly, his ears glowing red. Hermione cleared her throat – the narrow aisles were pushing them together into one another's space.

"What?"

"I have been offered a place on the quidditch team…but Harry won't have a place. James."

Hermione seemed a little disappointed in his choice of subject – her head drooped a little gracefully, "Oh."

"What should I do? I want to play on the team but I think Harry might resent me."

"Why are you so sensitive all of a sudden? Don't you just to what you want to do most of the time?" Hermione asked half jokingly, half resentfully – referring to her own case with him. Ron raised an eyebrow at her. 

"Because, Harry is my best friend. What should I do?"

"Why don't you figure it out yourself Mr. Sensitivity?" 

"Why are you being so bitter?"

Hermione blushed. "I was just joking Ron…I…"

Ron ran his fingers through his hair and loosened the tie at his neck a little – some thing he did often and a behaviourism that Hermione found endearing no matter how many time he did it. Her heart rate quickened a little. The air was crackling like static with tension. "Well…I think…you should just…er…" Hermione was muttering, looking down at her shoes, unaware of a growing shadow over her as Ron drew closer. When she raised her face, his was an inch away from hers. She drew in a sharp breath. 

"Ron?"

He seemed to break form a trance and immediately backed away from her so fast he bumped into the shelves behind him.

"Watch it!" the bookcase said sorely.

"So…so…"

"Why don't you talk to Harry about it?"

"Yeah. I think I will."

There was an extended pause. Silence is not golden – it's just akward.

"Er…yeah – see you later."

Hermione fanned her glowing face with a copy of "Hogwarts, a History.". That book had infinite uses.

***

**A/N: review = the moral thing to do**


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: Sorry for the delay – so without further ado!

Disclaimer: Not…..mine…………………………………………..

Chapter 4

Tapping her foot impatiently against the carved leg of the library table, Hermione contemplated what had gone on, if anything, in the narrow library aisle. Probably nothing, she told herself and she turned her eyes and tried to focus them on the ingredients of the cleansing potion they were making. Lily was sitting silently across from her but was still giving her a little look that said "I know about you and - " ah. But Hermione must not get ahead of herself. Meanwhile was starting to wonder when Dumbledore would find a way for them to return to their own time – she had never seen Harry so happy before and wondered if she herself wanted to go back to 1997. She did. As much as she liked it here she needed to go back. To her own time. 

"I'll see you later Lily."

"Right."

Hermione packed her bag and started walking without much direction and eventually meandered her way and found herself in front of the big stone gargoyle.

"Is the professor in his office?"

The gargoyle was still, stone and grey – brooding in stillness. 

"I'll take that as a yes." Hermione shifted her feet uncomfortably. "Will I be disturbing him if I went up there?"

Suddenly the gargoyle sprang to life. "You know," he said in a friendly voice that quite didn't suit him, "you are the first one apart from Dumbledore himself to actually speak to me. I get sick of just hearing the damn password every time. They don't seem to realise that I get LONELY al by myself while all the other gargoyles are up on the roof tops." The stone seemed to rumble a little as the gargoyle sulked.

"Well. I'll make sure that I tell others…erm…that come here to…er…have a, a chat with you next time then." Hermione said uncomfortably.

"Thank you." Said the gargoyle emphatically. "Password?"

"Um…chocolate frogs. Isn't it?"

"Go on up."

***

Harry watched his father as he caught the snitch. And let it go. And caught it. And let it go. It almost became a rhythmic game to him as his green eyes travelled in loops as he followed the snitch's movements. It was so easy to just grab out and catch it. As he had done countless times. But this time, James was catching the snitch and Harry was watching. Suddenly James's game became immature and childish to him – when James had let the snitch fly particularly long, Harry caught it deftly between his index and thumb.

"Sorry to say this old boy," he addressed hi father, "but this is boring isn't it? Why don't we go outside and have a proper game?"

Harry released the snitch. 

James caught it with ease.

"We don't have enough people."

"Scared Potter?" Wow. That sounded like Malfoy.

"One on one then? Better and better." James smirked as he raised himself off the couch. Harry followed him down to the quidditch pitch.

"Uh oh." Ron said, abandoning his homework and following him down.

"Is James going to get his arse kicked by Harry?" Sirius followed and asked Ron, "Because he needs it."

"I don't know. I don't know." Ron mumbled darkly.

***

James selected his Nimbus from the broom cupboard and beckoned for Harry to choose a broom too.

Cleansweep ones. Comet 100s. These were old brooms. Where were the Nimbus 2001s? Cleansweep 7s? Shaking his head, Harry selected the newest and best looking broom of the lot.

"That is mine." Sirius's voice came from the doorway.

"I can borrow it? May I?"

Sirius smiled, "Sure. As long as you win James and deflate his head." Behind him Ron looked nervous. Harry ignored the nagging in his head, "He's your DAD."

"Whatever" he mumbled. Grabbing Sirius' Nimbus, Harry followed his dad out.

Sirius and Ron stood in the centre of the pitch, snitch grasped in his hand. Harry and James faced each other at opposite ends of the field. Sirius nodded to both of them. Harry kicked off from he ground. The Nimbus was still a smooth flyer, albeit a little slower. It needed more physical touch from Harry to manoeuvre it around and it was practically dodgy next to his own beloved Firebolt, sitting in his closet in Gryffindor Boy's dormitories, 1997. Oh well, if life gives you a lemon…make a lemon squash? Was that the quote he had heard on some American show? Harry flew this way and that, just to test the broom out. Knowing Sirius, he had probably put some charms on it. But then again he was sure that his father would have done the same.

"Hey guys!" Sirius called form down on the ground. "I've let the snitch out. Let the games begin."

Harry immediately focused and he could see from about a 100 meters away, so had James.

"It's frightening how I can't tell which one is which from down here." Sirius remarked. 

"They are father and son duh…" Ron muttered then mentally slapped himself.

"What was that?"

"Nothing." 

Suddenly the air above them seemed to crack. Sirius and Ron both craned their heads up. James and Harry were flying through the air with incredible speed, both chasing after the glitter of gold. Ron looked nervous. Sirius looked exited.

"Yes, go Granger! Go! Kick that proud arse of James' for me! Whoo-hoo!"

Ron raised his eyes toward the sky again. He himself kept quiet, cheering for neither father nor son. 

Suddenly the air went still. Harry held the struggling snitch – safely enclosed in his fist, James staring at him with his mouth wide open. Ron could see easily from that distance that James was clearly shocked at being outdone. First came the shock then…jealousy…then resolute anger it seemed. What had Harry gotten himself into? 

Harry twisted and turned, trying to loose James or perhaps trying to catch up with him… on a broom stick, travelling fast with the wind violently whipping against is face, Harry couldn't tell. It was almost like looking at a mirror image of him while he was playing quidditch. All he concentrated on was the tiny glimmer of gold only so far from him. He reached his arm out and with surprise found that James' arm, his father's arm was also stretched out – they were both reaching for the snitch. Harry decided to take a risk and launched himself forward and snatched the snitch out of the air – he toppled forward but managed to hang on. He could feel the futile beating of the snitch's tiny wings against his closed palm. It was a familiar feeling. His face broke into a wide grin. Ah ha! No longer was he just a comparison to his father the legendary seeker. He was the legendary seeker. Oh dear…he was beginning to sound like James…speaking of which… His father seemed to be in a state of shock then jealousy and anger came over his face. 

"Again?" Harry asked, letting the snitch go. 

James caught it. "Again."

"Hey you two! Come down!" Sirius called from below.

James didn't reply but he let the snitch fly off, while staring at Harry.

"You're good Granger."

"Thank you." Harry replied with a slight incline of his head.

"Not good enough I'm afraid…" James flew right beneath Harry and tore off.

Alarmed, Harry immediately accelerated, and flew after his father.

James went into a steep dive and Harry followed. Then it suddenly occurred to him. There was no snitch. His father was pulling a Wronski Feint. Hah! As if Harry would fall for that. It was _his _specialty. Harry stopped in mid-dive and flew back up, his green eyes searching for the snitch.

Damn that Granger! No one had ever seen through his tactic. Furious, James pulled out of the dive.

***

"Where's everyone?" Hermione entered the empty common room. Lily sat on the armchair reading a muggle novel, quite alone, albeit a few first years sat around the table with their potions homework.

"They're down at the quidditch pitch." Lily replied.

"Why? Is there a match?"

"Apparently, it's a Potter vs Granger."

"What?!"

"James and Harry are playing one-on-one quidditch. I excused myself from watching that spectacle. James would probably win and gloat over it for the rest of eternity."

"Oh no! But he won't! He won't win!" Hermione turned on her heel and raced out of the portrait hole, running down to the quidditch pitch.

Lily frowned. James won't win? She had to see that. She slammed her novel hut and raced after Hermione.

***

A/N: It looks like there is going to be some father son rivalry….REVIEW!


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Thank you for all your reviews! **

**Disclaimer: If I owned Harry Potter I wouldn't be writing this. Figure it out. I don't own it.**

Hermione ran out on to the quidditch pitch where there was a large gathering of people, all looking up at the two strikingly similar figures twisting and turning in the sky. Hermione couldn't tell them apart.

"Ohhhhhhh." Hermione let out an anguished moan. She parted the crowd and looked for Ron; he was standing with Sirius and Peter, who was nearly wetting himself with excitement.

"Oh, Oh! Was that James? Did he catch the snitch?"

"Ron!"

"Hermione."

"What the hell is going on?!" she hissed in to his ear.

"Harry just had to…argh…I dunno."

"Ron you realize…if James and Harry and…Lily and…you know…you know…"

"I know I know!" Ron roughly dragged his fingers through his hair. "I know. But I couldn't. James and Harry have this…abominable pride. And it won't let neither of them give up. This is their tenth game. Harry leading by one. People are starting to say that James ought to be replaced."

"No! We can't let that happen. We must get Harry to stop. Now. And he must also let James win."

Ron snapped his head toward Hermione. "Are you mad? You can't to that! Harry's going to be distraught!"

"Well I don't see much of an alternative; if he were to win then…then…well you know what I mean!"

Sirius was looking at them with a bewildered expression on his face. Hermione and Ron both clasped their hands over their mouth. They didn't realise they were conversing so…loudly. Luckily no one else had noticed. But Sirius was smart enough to understand that there was something between Harry and James.

"What are you two talking about?"

"Nothing." Hermione and Ron both said quickly.

Sirius narrowed his eyes – "I know you two were talking about something. And I want to know. Especially if it involves James."

Hermione and Ron both turned to each other helplessly.

Above them, Harry had caught the snitch again. James looked so pissed off it was almost scary – almost like seeing Harry in indignant rage after an unfair dispute with Snape.

"Spit it out." Sirius said seriously. (A/N: ahahahah…..sorry that just sounded funny…)

Hermione and Ron stood, silent, looking at each other and refusing to make eye contact with Sirius. 

There was a great whoop. James had caught the snitch. Lily was following the game in quiet contemplation with her green eyes and a small frown on her face. Hermione was so worried she was wringing her hands. Sirius grabbed the both roughly by their arms and dragged them away from the crowd.

"We are not going to tell you." Ron said resolutely.

"Ron – !" Hermione grabbed his robes roughly and held it tightly. 

"So there is something." 

Ron muttered sacrilege under his breath.

Hermione pressed her lips together so tightly that they were white.

"What is it?"

"Look Sirius – we really can't tell you. It's Dumbledore's orders." Ron said, matter-of-factly, looking a little more confident.

"Dumbledore?"

Hermione nodded.

Sirius walked away from them muttering to himself.

"Phew."

"Phew?!" Hermione hissed, "Now Sirius definitely knows something's up. And he's smart – he will figure it out."

"Well what was I supposed to do?" 

Hermione just shook her head. And took her wand out. She took a deep breath.

"What are you doing?" Ron asked with his eyes wide.

"I'm helping James win."

Ron grabbed Hermione's wrist. "You can't do that."

"I have to! Imagine – If Harry wins, Lily will like him better and then he'll never be born!"

"Eh? What the hell are you talking about?"

"Ron, don't you see? Lily likes Harry!"

Ron made a face. "Are you mad? That is just…eugh."

Hermione rolled her eyes. "I didn't expect you to notice Mr. Sensitivity, but I think Lily likes Harry."

"What proof do you have?" Ron asked incredulously with a slight edge of sarcasm to his voice.

Hermione rolled her eyes – "Listen. Harry is a matured version of James. Which is what Lily is looking for."

"Ron scoffed –"You are just like being romantic. So what now? You're going to be a matchmaker for Lily and James?"

Hermione snatched her wrist from Ron's grasp. "Shut up."

"Hermione stop. Think about it. Sirius always said that Lily and James were besotted with each other and they still are. They just have this love/hate thing going on. Harry isn't going to change that."

"Argh! I don't care. If Harry punctures James' ego equally bad things can happen."

Ron shrugged. "I am NOT responsible for what happens next."

Hermione helped James win five times in a row. The game ended quite abruptly with James sporting a grin larger than the fat lady's backside. Harry looked like he could kill Voldemort by just glaring at him. Ron and Hermione stood at the back of the crowd twitching while Sirius was talking to Remus conspiratorially. Peter, as usual was wetting himself with excitement at James's victory (Which was all thanks to Hermione's wand waving).

"Good game Granger." 

"Likewise." Harry spat out tersely between his tightly gritted teeth.

James swung his broomstick over his shoulder casually and chanced a glance at Lily, who was busy staring at Harry. Hermione poked Ron in the ribs with her elbow and motioned to her. Ron gave her a "So what" look. Hermione mumbled under her breath about stupid blind boys.

"If there was anything between them, and I believe so firmly that there wasn't, then you only helped Lily like Harry better because he was acting mature. He wasn't complaining or anything! If you did anything then you just made the situation worse."

Hermione walked on silently, refusing to look at Ron.

"So Miss know-it-all, you just sprouted an incestuous relationship between mother and son. This is Oedipus and Jocasta all over again. Harry's going to kill James. And then marry Lily."

"Aha!" Suddenly from the shadows jumped out a voice.

"Ah!"

"Ah!" Ron and Hermione both jumped a mile high while the paintings in the corridor craned their heads from their gold frames.

Then appeared Sirius. He was holding the invisibility cloak.

"Aha."

"Si-si-sirius."

Sirius circled the both menacingly.

"So." He glared. "So."

Ron swore. "Fuck."

"Who are you?" Sirius asked, folding the invisibility cloak.

"We can't tell you." Hermione said in a trembling voice.

"You better tell me Miss Granger. Or are you called something else?"

"No. No I'm called Hermione Granger."

"So who is Harry Granger?"

"He's my cousin."

"Bull shit."

Hermione drew her wand. 

"Hermione what are you doing?" Ron asked uncertainly – he knew that Hermione was a true advocator of 'desperate situations calls for desperate measures'. She could hex Sirius and he wouldn't be surprised.

"Obliviate!" she cried.

Sirius ducked the spell with a shocked expression on his face. He advanced on Hermione threateningly. Ron placed himself in front of her.

"Look here Sirius – we want to be your friend. In fact we _are_ friends. We just can't tell you this."

"She tried to Ovliviate me!"

"She had her legitimate reasons."

"You two; out with it. Or we duel."

Hermione and Ron looked helplessly at each other.

"If you don't tell James or anyone else." Ron blurted out.

Sirius narrowed his eyes. "I must tell James."

"Fine then. We tell you nothing." Ron grabbed Hermione by the arm and led her away from Sirius.

"Wait!" Sirius stopped them. "Fine, I won't."

"How do we trust you?"

"I am a man of my word."

"I don't trust him." Hermione said to Ron.

"Sirius. This is really something you should not tell James or his whole future would be an absolute misery."

Sirius nodded.

"Can't we just not tell you?"

"If you don't tell me then I'll tell James something is going on."

Hermione took in a big breath. Then another. "Alright."

"We are from the future."

Sirius looked at them incredulously. "You expect me to believe that?"

"Well it's true!" Hermione said indignantly.

"Oh come on. From the future? What sort of rubbish is this?"

"You want us to PROVE to you that we're from the future?" Hermione asked menacingly.

Sirius guffawed.

"You have a brother called Regulus." 

This caught Sirius' attention.

"How…?"

"You ran away from home and moved to James' because you parents were pure blood fanatics."

"What…"

"You want to know something else that will happen in the near future?" Hermione glared at him. Ron stopped her.

"Hermione…nothing about the future! Remember?"

"Well? Do you believe us now?"

"How?"

"Time turner."

"Eh?"

"It isn't invented yet and Professor Dumbledore is looking for another way to transport us back. A time turner is a device which enables us to go back or forward in time. We had a little accident with it and it landed us here"

"So…so…"

"Figure it out genius…" Ron said under his breath. Sirius glared.

"You mean to tell me that. Harry is…"

Sirius seemed too shocked to finish the sentence. He looked wide eyed from Ron to Hermione then to Ron again, looking at him like he could provide a suitable explanation. Ron almost laughed at the comical expression on Sirius' face.

"And James and Lily…?!"

Sirius started pacing and muttering things under his breath. Suddenly he seemed excited.  "So what happens? When do James and Lily stop acting like idiots and figure it out?"

"Pretty soon."

"And then? And then what happens?"

Ron and Hermione looked at each other nervously.

"We really can't tell you…and I don't think you'd want to know." Hermione said quietly.

Sirius' proud head drooped a little. "Something bad happens?"

"No. Not necessarily."

"Then what?"

"You see THIS is why we didn't want to tell you. You keep asking us questions."

"And now you see I am going to have to obliviate you." Hermione sighed.

"NO! Don't…I won't tell and I won't ask. Thank you for telling me. Thanks for trusting me."

"This wouldn't be the first time." Ron said with a smirk.

"What do you mean?"

"Ah. Can't tell you." He said wistfully.

"Hi Harry."

"Oh. Hello. Erm. Lily." Harry did have to fight the urge to say, "Oh hi mum!"

"You're a good quidditch player."

Harry flushed. "Oh. Thank you."

"Do you mind if I sit down?"

"Sure." Harry moved his rolls of parchment from the chair next to him so Lily could sit. She sat and flashed him a smile, which he thought was very pretty, and took out her potions essay.

"Have you been playing long?" Lily took her bottle of ink and her quills out.

"Yeah. Since I was in first year." Harry said nervously.

"Well, I wish you were playing for Gryffindor."

"You have James." Harry tried to keep the bitterness from his voice.

Lily shrugged, "Yeah but he's…"

Harry wasn't sure whether he wanted a romantic low-down on his mother and father's love life but he steeled himself for it and decided to be sensitive. He wanted his mother and father to get together – he won't be born otherwise.

"He's what?"

"He's too annoying." 

Oh.

"Why?"

"I don't know." Lily shrugged again. "His swagger, the way he talks like he knows everything, the way he demeans people, the way he still plays jokes on Severus the way he think I'll just go out with him if he asks."

Harry didn't know what to say. "So you…you don't want to go out with him?" 

"No!" Lily let out a laugh. 

Harry's head drooped. "Er…well I think he's a great guy Lil. I mean he's smart and he's popular. And he's nice." Harry said hurriedly. Lily seemed to glow.

"See that's what I like about you Harry – you are so modest and you speak well of others. James is just a big headed pig. I'll never go out with him even if he grovels." 

And Harry thought Voldemort was the only thing that was a threat to his existence.

From a distance, Hermione was giving Ron an 'I told you so' look.

**A/N: Don't worry Harry will be born. I'm sure Hermione will help Lily and James get together some way or another. And Sirius…I'm having a hard time deciding whether I'll obliviate him or not but I felt that he sort of needed to find out somehow. **

**Please drop of a review – I'd love to see some ideas**


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